


For souls we cannot save

by Liah



Category: Free!, free eternal summer - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:08:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liah/pseuds/Liah
Summary: Nanase Haruka could not tell you when the end had started. He only knew that he had to do everything to survive and even more to protect Makoto because without him his life would be pointless anyway.But it is hard, so hard, especially when there are other ways how to lose your humanity and to become one of that things is not the worst one of them.





	1. Prologue - the end of our world

He cannot tell you no matter how many times you would ask him. 

_Once upon the time, there was world. Their world where they were supposed to study and swim and their only worry was to choose right university, grow up, cry and laugh, have families, bleed, and then die- some of them broken but most of them surrounded by family or friends. How beautiful it was. How naïve they were._

He cannot tell you because he does not remember.

_And then there were people, scientists, who claimed that they defeated death itself. That they invented bacteria which will keep flesh and cells young forever. People were officially immortal._

It was not one moment. That is the reason why he can´t tell you when exactly world went to the hell. He just remember that people started to disappear, one by one but nobody talked about it. Then how Makoto´s mother forbidden twins to go out after the dark and then eventually even Makoto and how she told Haru that his parents wanted him to stay with them, that´s these days it is not the best idea to be alone. 

_Yes, flesh was immortal. But it was course not the blessing – it was venom not the cure._

He and Makoto did not vocalize what was going on, choosing to ignore it. In that old word they were still kids, barely sixteen. It was acceptable that they ignored something which was creeping like snail into their peaceful lives. 

_It turned out that it is impossible to renew cells of brain. New bacteria keep body conserved but for return it burnt brain. And what was the human being without its brain? Without its soul?_

He knew that there was no way back when he stopped to strip without care, just to swim in fountain or pool. When he realised that it is… dangerous to stop to pay attention. 

_Just hungry monsters._

That time Makoto and he walked always hand in hand, nervous when one was out of the sight of other. Nobody laugh at them. Nobody. 

_How could they be so careless? So stupid and unprepared?_

Haruka could not tell you when that catastrophe started but he was able to tell you when they world ended. He was walking home with Makoto and day was warm, shiny, it was near to the summer. However, both of them felt chill in their bones and cats which loved Makoto so much were missing and when he thought about it a little more, no bird no even seagulls were shreaking. And suddenly shadows started to move, slowly, so slowly and they were moaning with empty eyes and there was blood and wounds which should cause immediate demise, but they were moving, still moving. 

“Run!” he yelled at Makoto, who was just gaping at that things which used to be their neighbours, visibly shaking. He dragged him until Makoto obeyed as he always did, and they run and run, until Haru could not able anymore and Makoto – stronger one of them had to carry him. Find some place which is hard to reach, said Haruka. They can´t climb, they barely walk. Like in videogames. 

 

They ended in lighthouse. Hugging each other, scarred to the death because of that bloody moans which were everywhere. Makoto was crying.  
“Please, tell me that this is just nightmare. Please, Haruka,” he pleaded. Haruka just hugged him more tightly, and put Makoto´s head in crook of his neck in attempt to hide him, because yes, it was nightmare.

But that nightmare was their life now.


	2. Chapter 2 - Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto was strong enough to believe for both of them when Haruka just can´t anymore.

Next day, they went to get some food – although in fact, they were not hungry, not really. Just sitting inside the lighthouse felt like they were in the prison and only way out was to see that things again. To make sure that all of that really was not just nightmare and both of them will wake up in Makoto´s bed or on Makoto´s couch wondering how is it possible that they have identical nightmare.

But, anyway, they needed as much food supplies as possible - or at least it was always first task in videogames about survival they used to play. 

So they got them.

It was also the very first time they nearly became… one of them. Killed. Turned. Haruka was not sure how to name it. 

He did that mistake that he opened door of house without further inspection. Makoto did that mistake that he called for Haru aloud.   
But they were still faster that… that _things_ so they run. They survived that first time.

They learnt. 

From that time they wore long shirts and jeans no matter of weather to avoid scratches – that things could smell blood like a sharks.   
That… zombies (as Makoto started to call them) were more active during night. They were sensitive about noise and their smell was spectacular although they were practically blind and unable to move more quickly that just walk. But they were strong.  
They were eating human flesh. 

These days Makoto and Haru were able to use knifes and other sharp thigs as weapons. 

They learnt that they have to destroy head to… kill it. 

Then there things just Haruka learnt.  
For example, that in some aspects, Makoto was still braver like he was – he was first to reach for him during nights when both of them were weeping. He was the first who dragged him into the town after their first catastrophic attempt. He was the first who started to talk about their beloved ones no matter how painful it was (they visited Makoto´s house – empty. They did not know if they should be relieved or not).

Well, to say _talk_ would be inappropriate- their friendship was built on silence and its nuances, the most important things between them said by gestures and stares, not by words - their friends used to tell them that he and Makoto are connected, that they are telepathic and maybe, _maybe_ it was true a little bit. They have spent their lives by side of other, learning each other perfectly, understand each other reactions and was how their minds work. One way or another, Haruka liked to use their connection to avoid vocalize his thoughts as much as possible – it just did not suit him so why to bother when there is another way with Makoto? 

So, naturally, the most painful thoughts were also given by acts.

Makoto was standing under the lighthouse, his head bent in silent pray. There was small burial mound next to him, not higher than Makoto´s calf, but it was still here, built from little round stones and flowers, work of Makoto´s. 

That´s how Makoto told him that he is mourning. 

Haru was looking at cervical vertebras of Makoto which were so prominent thanks to his bent head, staring at shadows which Sun was creating in them.  
“You should not done that,” he told him, aware, that he is able to hear anger in his voice. _You can´t give up on them so easily. Because then I will have to give up on them, too._  
“One stone for everyone we knew. Neighbours, schoolmates, teachers,” he whispered, “Someone should remember them, right?”

Haru came near to the Makoto, until they were standing side by side, “which are for Nagisa and Rei?” he snapped.

 

“None of them. Nagisa and Rei are alive as we are!” claimed Makoto and looked at him with determination in his green eyes, with shock in his features – like how he dared to think about their friends like that?- and Haruka would swear that in the light of sunset, they were fearless and gold.   
“Makoto…” he whispered in awe.  
“This is for that nameless people we knew, Haru. But people we love are okay.”  
“You don´t know that.”  
“Rei and Nagisa are okay because Rei is intelligent and strong and Nagisa is brave to try even impossible. They are as good team as we are,” he said with that soft smile of his, that one which Haruka did not seen since… since everything around them died. 

Makoto was strong enough to believe for both of them when Haruka just can´t anymore. 

“And Rin is okay too, of course. He is stubborn and fight when he needs to and look at that shark tooth of his! If I was a zombie, I would be scarred of him.” Haru involuntarily shivered then chuckled.   
“And… and twins are okay too,” he smiled softly, because they have my parents to look after and my parents are good enough to survive.”

And then, Makoto just took Haru´s hand, tentatively and so slowly and Haruka felt a little better. _How could not I see this before?_

“They are okay. And we will find them.”


	3. Chapter 3- cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cats are fascinating creatures.

Even at the end of the world, some things did not change. 

And this time, Haruka wasn´t talking about that big fact, like, for example, he would go everywhere where Makoto would, because they were best friends (or in Nagisa´s interpretation: fucking soulmates, oh how he missed that kid). Or fact like that he still loved fresh fish (Makoto wanted to go to try fishing at beach).  
He was talking about that less obvious connections and fact which still meant the world for both of them.

Like the fact that cats came back to Makoto eventually.   
Both of them firstly thought that cats were killed by zombies in similar manner as dogs were. Actually, dogs were first creatures which fallen in hands of zombies - barking at zombies and biting them to protect their homes and families. Both Haruka and Makoto were witnesses of deadly fight between the biggest dogs from their village (that one which they were scared of in old world). 

They saw how that dogs tried to protect bodies of their owners which were transforming into that things. They saw them attacking with carnivority of wolves, that teeth which were able to tire flesh from human bones. They saw how that zombies, countless of them tore that animals to pieces alive, they heard its whines and last yowls. 

Dogs were too faithful and loyal for their own good.   
Cats were more intelligent- they knew it was time to run.  
But they were also bold enough to come back and adapt.

And that´s was reason why they came back to Makoto – these street cats remembered him very well and how tender he was to them. So, somehow, after few days Haruka realised that there was still at least one cat around lighthouse and one hovering at window or wall of street when they dared to go back to the village to restore more food. They were still around them although Makoto swore he did not give food to them- Haruka did not believe it because he knew that his friend is too soft to let animal starve until one particular evening when one black cat brought dead mice to Makoto´s legs. 

Makoto said that it is cat´s way how to show affection – that cat gave him food like it would give to the kitten which was unable to hunt on its own.

After that Haruka stopped asking. 

It was also interesting that that strange white cat started mewing really strangely, in high tones, like it was crying whenever zombies were close to them – it warned them and then run to hide.   
“Give it a name,” said Haruka one night, “that cat decided to belong to you, so it´s your right to do so.”  
“Hmmm,” he only said, but with soft smile, looking at the sea from their spot in lighthouse, caressing fur of black cat (it also has some brown stains on its belly and head and disturbingly intelligent green eyes), “you think so?” 

Haruka rolled his eyes in response (but also he would swear that his heart was as soft as fur of that cat just because of Makoto´s smile).  
“Well… I was thinking about it too, actually,” he admitted, “I was thinking about... Kage.”  
“Shadow?” Haruka murmured, “too plain. But… acceptable.”  
Haruka did not really care about that name – it was just good distraction for Makoto and well, he also could see a logic in that name – that cat was as black and as sneaky as shadow would be. 

“Do you like it? Kage?” Makoto also asked the cat in his lab and it purred.  
“Agreed then.”

And well, it was just the cat but thanks to it, Makoto and Haruka felt little more normal again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still in hurry, still without beta. Sorry! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what do you think?
> 
> This one is not going to be long - just fragments of their lives in zombie universe. Actually, it is going to be focused on transformation of Makoto from sweetheart to something little more... believable (yeah, he is going to suffer, sorry).
> 
> Feel free to tell me your opinion or ideas! :))


End file.
